Interview with James Roper
James Roper is dope, so dope he answered some questions. By the way if you know any other artist you want me to interview shoot me a tweet or an e-mail. (superduper@shapesofsweetness.com)
Favorite cereal?
Porridge (oatmeal).
What do you think it takes to become a full time artist?
Discipline, being anti-social helps and you might not cope if you like having money.
You’ve said before that when you were 17 you got into art and discovered that it wasn’t about visuals it’s about ideas. What ideas did you start portraying back then?
I actually said I found it wasn’t just about visuals. The first piece of work I remember making which was trying to communicate certain ideas was a piece called ‘Unified Militant Echo’. It was a comment on the monotony of high school which, similar to a school photo, consisted of rows and rows of hundreds of cut outs of the same image of a male and female student wearing a monotone grey version of the school uniform. Despite the negative connotations I was asked by the headmaster of the school if he could use the image for a school greetings card!
When you look back at your work from five to ten years ago what do you think? Do you think that you have evolved nicely?
Evolution is everything. I don’t know how some artists churn out a variation of the same painting year on year. It might pay the bills because buyers can buy into your work as a ‘brand’ but it’s boring as hell. Of course there’s something to be said about the subtle variations that can be explored with certain ideas but it can often be put down to laziness. A lot of my work I look back at I think were just stepping stones, I was basically trying to find my feet as an artist. ‘Push the pull’ which I did in my final year of my degree was the first in the ‘Hypermass’ series and although I’m not too keen on it now (though I think the title is one of my best!) it was an important piece in regards to where my work eventually headed. Another two key pieces were ‘Cytherea explicates the enfolded’ and the follow up ‘Conception of the unfolding implicate’ which were a definite bridge between the ‘Hypermass’ pieces and my new work.
How is the art scene in Manchester?
There is a scene but I’m not part of it, I’m a bit of a loner. There seem to be two main branches, one side is more conceptual and the other is graphics and illustration. I fit in the middle somewhere.
You work in a variety of mediums: painting, drawing, graphic, sculpture, film. Is there one medium that you prefer over the other? If so why?
Painting has a much more direct link with the nervous system from head to hand, it’s the best form of expression I know of (I’m sure music would be more direct but I’ve not got around to that yet). I enjoy the process of drawing as it’s very absorbing but it can be tiring as it takes a lot of concentration. The graphic work can feel a little soulless but I like the perfection of a vectorized image. I haven’t done enough sculpture as I’d like to, I don’t have enough time but I like the physicality of manipulating materials. Film seems to me to be the ultimate form in which to affect a viewer as it includes narrative, sound, music, visuals, dialogue etc. but it takes a hell of a lot of work and people power to get them made, especially to the standard I want.
Is there any medium you would like to try, but haven’t yet?
I’ve always felt I should try oils instead of acrylics, especially now my work is moving on from just block colour, but I’ll see how far I can go with acrylics before I try them out.
You have done a nice amount of exhibitions and been featured in a good amount of publications. What has been your defining moment as an artist? Does a certain exhibition or feature in a publication stand out?
I should probably say my first solo show in London but what stands out just for the shear surrealness of it is seeing a photo of Kanye West in a newspaper wearing the ‘Fallout’ t-shirt I did for Tank Theory.
Describe the perfect collaboration?
My work is so personal I’ve never been particularly drawn to collaborations. But if I share a common interest with someone I don’t mind but I expect the same critical standards in others that I expect of myself.
What non-visual things inspire your art?
Philosophy, music, various physical and mental sensations within my body and it’s relationship with the environment.
What’s in store for the rest of 2009?
I’ve been working on a short film which I co-wrote and worked on the production design for which should finish post-production in the the next couple of months. There’s a few other things which are in the pipe line but no definites so until then I’ll just keep working and see what my mind throws up.
